Field Level Media
Mar 4, 2020
Malik Beasley scored 24 points, D'Angelo Russell added 19 and both players contributed to a long-range barrage as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Chicago Bulls 115-108 on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
Minnesota drilled 19 3-pointers and boasted six players in double figures while leading by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter.
Naz Reid (16 points, 11 rebounds), Jarrett Culver (13 points), Juancho Hernangomez (12 points) and Jordan McLaughlin (10 points, seven assists) rounded out a balanced attack as the Timberwolves took the opener of a three-game homestand, capturing their second win in a row.
Chicago lost for the 11th time in 13 games despite a game-high 26 points from rookie guard Coby White. The Bulls drew to within 113-108 with 1:08 remaining before the Timberwolves recovered to close out the game.
Shaquille Harrison added 17 points for the Bulls while Lauri Markkanen (13), Thaddeus Young (13), Denzel Valentine (11) and Tomas Satoransky (10) followed in double figures.
Chicago led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but the Timberwolves recovered to tie the game at 31 on a Russell trey with 10:38 to go before the break. The Bulls regained the lead moments later, as Markkanen banked in a jump shot on the ensuing possession for his first points since Jan. 22.
Wednesday marked the first appearance for Markkanen after a 15-game absence caused by a stress reaction in his right pelvis. He played 21 minutes after coach Jim Boylen said Markkanen would be on a restriction of 18 to 20 minutes in the early stages of his return.
The Bulls led 58-55 at halftime but struggled to maintain momentum in the third quarter, as the Timberwolves grabbed an 88-79 edge entering the fourth.
Chicago's Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Bulls leading scorer Zach LaVine missed his second straight game with a strained left quadriceps.
Minnesota won consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 2-5. The Timberwolves have just eight victories in 30 games at Target Center this season.
The Timberwolves shot 44.2 percent from long range and 50 percent overall. The Bulls made 47.9 percent from the field, including 36.7 percent accuracy from long range.
--Field Level Media